Palitana
About the city
Commanding a special place on the Gujarat traveler;s map, Palitana is a ;must visit' destination for those who would like to see what the subtle combination of human enterprise, architectural skills, philanthropy and channelised religious fervor can achieve. The entire sumit of the majestic mount Shatrunjaya is crowned with about 900 temples, each rivaling the other for beauty and magnificence, presenting an awe-inspiring spectacle to devotees and visitors.Originally the town was an imperial thana which later grew into the capital of Palitana State of princely Kathiawad. The feuds and rivalries culminating into battles during the reign of the Raiput King Unadji remind us of the sacrificial chivalry of an age that has passed into history. Taking advantage of the occupation of the Bhavnagar army with Maratha forces, Unadji had attacked Sihor. In retaliation Gohil Wakhatsinhji, the then ruler of Bhavnagar, laid siege on Palitana. Unadji;s stubborn resistance which compelled the Bhavnagar forces to retire is even today, many generations later, remembered by the natives of this temple town.
Were it not in the middle of nowhere, Palitana would probably rank a lot higher on the tourist trail. The attraction is the nearby holy mountain of Shatrunjaya and its crown of Jain temples. Take a Tonga (Rs 4-5) to the foot of the hill and start walking; in 2 ½ km you climb more than400 m and many, many steps. Photograpghy (exterior only) is free but you must get a permit at the Anandji Kalyani pedhi on the way to the hill. You may also be able to arrange here to see the fabulous temple jewels. The two hilltops are completely covered by the 863 temples. Construction has spread over 900 years and covers every aspect of Jain architecture. None is as intricate as Dilwara (see Mount Abu), and because of Muslim destruction all date from after 1600, but the colossal scale and extensive views make up for that. The holiest temple is that of Sri Ahishwara, the first tirthankara, which is superbly decorated. Look for a greenflag nearby: here is a lone Muslim shrine where barren women of all religious offer miniature cradies and pray for a child.
History
The act of ascending a path to reach a place of pilgrimage is a part of the Hindu and Jain consciousness, which is why many of their holiest temples are located along hills and mountain ranges. The Jains have five separate hill locations for their holiest clusters of temples and Shatrunjaya Hill, Palitana is considered the most important among them. Another group is in Girnar (Junagadh), not too far away, while others are in Rajasthan and Maharashtra.While the Palitana temple are not the most beautiful the Jains have built (the marble temple of Ranakpur in Rajasthan, just across the border from Mt. Abu, would rate as their most creative architectural effort), they are the most impressive. Nothing can match the vision of this hillside covered with the spires of hundreds of temples, each stretching higher still, as if anxious to establish communion with the skies.
Palitana houses perhaps the largest cluster of Jain temples anywhere. From the base to the peak of the Shatrunjaya Hill, where the Palitana temples are located, there are in all 863 temples. These temples were built in two phases-the 11th and 12th centuries as a part of the resurgence of temple building all over India, and in the 16th century. Some of the earliest temples built in the 11th century were destroyed by Muslim invaders in the 14th and 15th centuries. The current temples date back to 16th century onwards. Not any one person or group was responsible for the construction of these magnificent temples. It was the effort of the wealthy businessmen who were followers of Jainism that these buildings came into existence.